Supporting device for invalids



y 1961 I. u. BURNHAM 2,981,959-

SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR INVALIDS Filed June 27, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORI v 3m m,%,%zm W ATTORNEYS.

y 1961 l. u. BURNHAM SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR 'INVALIDS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 27, 1957 .1 W. .W J

2,981,959 SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR INVALIDS Inez U. Burnham, 1130 Green Bay Road, Lake Blulf, 111. Filed June 27, 1957, Ser. No. 668,469 4 Claims. 01. s--9z This invention relates to a support, and more specifi- Cally, to a device particularly useful in supporting an invalid as. he climbs into or out of bed, or moves in the vicinity of the bed. a

A main object of the presentinvention is to provide a sturdy device by which an invalid having some use of his arms and partial mobility may support himself as he moves between his bed and a nearby wheelchair, lounge chair, etc. A specific object is to provide a structure which not only furnishes support for the invalid as he moves into or out of bed, but also anchors the bed in place during such movement, thereby reducing or eliminating the danger of bed movement at a time when the invalid must cling to the bed for the necessary support.

Another object is to provide a supporting device having a handle which may be locked in a selected position or which may be released for rotation about a vertical axis according to the preference and physical condition of the invalid. A further object is to provide an invalid-supporting structure equipped with a handle which may be adjusted and set at an elevation best suited for supporting a given individual. A still further object is to provide an invalid-supporting device which is adapted to be easily and securely connected to any of a variety of beds of different sizes and constructions.

Other objects will appear from the specification and the drawings, in which: 1

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an invalid-supporting device embodying the present invention; Figure 2 is a broken vertical section of the structure taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a cross-section of the clutch assembly'taken along line 3-3 of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a broken sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Figure 1, and illustrating structural details of the connecting assembly; and Figure 5 is a broken side elevation of a modified structure embodying the present invention.

The supporting structure illustrated in Figures 1-4 essentially comprises a standard A, handle B, base C, and connecting means D. The letter B generally designates a conventional bed of the type commonly used in hospitals and clinics, although it will be understood from the following specification that the support structure is adapted for use in connection with beds of difierent sizes and constructions, and is useful in the home as Well'as in the hospital. a

As shown most clearly in Figures 1 and 2, standard A comprises a pair of telescoping tubular members and 11 which may be extended or contracted to vary the height of handle B.' The outer or lower member 11- is provided with a longitudinal series of openings or holes 12 through which a setting pin 13 may be inserted. As shown in Figure 2, the upper telescoping member 10 is similarly provided with a series of holes 14. Hence,

when the setting pin is inserted through a selected pair of aligned openings in the two members and whenwing nut 15 is threaded onto the projecting end of the pin, the telescoping tubular members will be securely locked against relative rotational and longitudinal movement.

tates atent O It will-be understood, of course, that the number of openings in each of the members may be varied according to the degree of adjustability desired.

In the illustration given, the upper telescoping member 10 is divided near its upper end to provide an upper section 10a and a lower section 10b. A locking assembly or clutch assembly, generally designated by the nu-' meral '16, is mounted adjacent the opposing ends of the upper and lower sections for permitting relative rotation of the coaxial sections or for locking the two sections together in selected positions. The clutch assembly essentially comprises a pair of opposing clutch members 17 and 18 which may be threaded upon the adjacent ends of the upper and lower sections and which may be securely anchored thereon by bolts 19 and 20, or by any other suitable means. The lower clutch member 18 is externally threaded to cooperate with the internally threaded clutch ring 21 so that when the ring is rotated it will travel longitudinally along the lower section. Ring 21 is provided with an inwardly turned collar 22, and this collar is rotatably received within an annular groove dcfined by the enlarged lower end of clutch member 17 and the lower end of a retaining ring 23 secured to that member by bolt 19. v

As shown most clearly in Figures 2 and 3, the opposing faces of the clutch members are provided with a plurality of radially extending and uniformly spaced ridges or teeth 24. When the clutch members are urged into engagement, the complementary teeth of those mem-. bers interlock and thereby prevent independent rotation of the upper and lower sections 10a and 1011, respectively. Conversely, the upper section is released for independent rotation when the clutch ring is turned to draw the teeth of the opposing members out of engagement.

Handle B comprises a pair of handlebars 25 and 26 which extend horizontally in opposite directions and which have their inner ends rigidly secured to a central connector 27. The connector in turn is tightly threaded onto the upper end of tubular section 10a and, if desired, a setscrew 28 may be provided to insure against relative rotation of the handle and the upper section. Preferably, the open free ends of the bars 25 and 26 are sealed with plugs 29.

Standard A is securely attached to the frame of bed E by. means of the connecting assembly D. In the structure illustrated in Figures 1-4, this connecting assembly comprises a pair of longitudinal tubes 30 and '31 which extend the length of the bed, and a cross tube 32 which is connected to both of the tubes 30 and 31 by means of fittings 3'3 and 34. Preferably, each of the longitudinal tubes is composed of a plurality of sections joined together by unions 35 so that the sections may be interchanged to vary the position of the cross tube. As shown in Figure 2, the cross tube extends through fitting 33 and is slidably carried by that fitting to facilitate attachment of the connecting assembly to bed frames of different width.

At the opposite ends of each longitudinally extending tube or shaft are a pair of leg clamps 36 and 67 which are provided with adjustment bolts 38 for tightening the two-piece clamps upon the legs or end posts of the bed. Clamps 3 6 are rigidly secured to the longitudinally extending tubes While clamps 37 are secured to the ends of translating screws 39 which extend into the open endsreceived within the internally threaded collar 41 and may' be securely fixed to the collar by setscrew 43. As shown;

in Figure 4, the adjustment wheel is threaded upon the translating screw 39 passing therethrough so that by rotating the adjustment wheel the translating screw will be extended from or retracted into the longitudinally extending tube. Consequently, the connecting assembly is adapted for mounting upon bed frames of different length asfwell as of. different width.

In Figures 1 and 2, it will be seen that the free end portion of the cross tube 32 projects laterally from the bed and is connected by fitting 44 to the outer tubular member 11 of the telescoping standard. If oesired, member 11 may be divided into upper and lower sections 11a and 11b, and the adjacent ends of these sections may be threadedly secured to fitting 44. To insure a rigid connection between member 11, fitting 44, and cross tube 32, the fitting may be provided with setscrews 45 and 46 which tightly engage the sections of the tubular member and the cross tube.

The base C of the invalid-supporting structure comprises a flat floor plate 47 which is centrally provided with an upstanding threaded shaft 48. The shaft may be secured to the floor plate by means of an apertured connecting plate 49 welded or otherwise secured to both the shaft and the plate '47. Preferably, the under surface of the floor plate is provided with a slip-resisting membrane 50 formed of rubber or other suitable material.

As illustrated most clearly in Figure 2, the lower end of the standard is equipped with a ring 51 which restrains longitudinal movement of a rotatable collar 52 extending thereabout. The collar is in turn threadedly connected and secured by setscrew 53 to an adjustment wheel 54 which threadedly receives the upstanding shaft 48 extending therethrough.

In connecting the invalid-supporting structure to a bed frame, the sections of the longitudinally extending tubes 30 and 31 are first assembled in a desired arrangement and clamps 36 and 37 are then attached to the legs of corner posts of the bed. It is apparent that considerable variation in the position of cross tube 32 may be achieved by simply interchanging certain of the sections of the longitudinal tubes and by inverting the entire connecting assembly or any selected parts thereof. The height at which the connecting assembly is mounted depends largely upon the construction of the particular bed or the equipment normally associated with that bed. For example, if the bed is equipped with vertically slidable side guards or gates, then it may be necessary to mount the connecting assembly closer to the floor to avoid interference with the operation of the gates.

After the standard has been secured to the cross tube 32 of the connecting assembly, adjustment wheel 54 is rotated to extend base C and urge the base into frictional contact with the floor surface. Finally, setting pin 13 is inserted through the aligned holes of the inner and outer telescoping members to anchor the handle B at a desired elevation. The clutch ring 21 may be turned to permit free rotation of the handle or to lock the handle at a selected angle, depending upon individual preferences and the physical condition of the invalid.

Assisted by the structure of the present invention, an invalid who might otherwise be unable to move from his bed without help from others may be able to support and guide himself in moving between his bed and another object such as a lounge chair or a wheelchair. Where the distance to be traveled is relatively short, or where the invalid desires a rigid hand support, the clutch ring may be rotated to lock the handle against rotation relative to the standard. On the other hand, an invalid who is able to move about more easily may prefer a movable supporting bar and may therefore rotate the clutch ring to disengage the opposing teeth of the clutch members.

Since the base of the supporting structure frictionally engages the floor surface, and since the structure is connected to the bed frame, the present invention greatly reduces the danger of bed movement as the invalid is climbing into or out of bed. Furthermore, it will be noted that the frictional contact between the base of the structure and the floor is increased when the structure is in use; that is, when the invalid supports a part of his weight upon the handle as he moves into or out of bed or in the vicinity of the bed.

It is to be understood that the above-described structure represents a preferred embodiment of the invention and that this structure may be simplified in a number of respects without departing from the principles of the invention. For instance, the modified structure illustrated in Figure 5, may be employed where a less adaptable connecting assembly isrequired.

Except for the connecting assembly, the modified structure is identical to the structure already described with reference to Figures 1 through 4. However, unlike the structure already described, cross tube 60 is connected by brackets 61 and 62 and by clamps 63 and 64-to the side rails 65 and 66 of the bed. Brackets 61 and 62 have inwardly turned upper portions which hook upon the bed rails, and clamps 63 and 64 are provided with thumb screws 67 which may be rotated into tight frictional engagement with the inner surfaces of the rails.

To accommodate beds of different widths, clamp 64 and bracket 62 are mounted adjacent the end of a threaded shaft 68 which is telescopically received within cross tube 60 and which is extended or retracted upon rotation of adjustment wheel 69. Since the structure and operation of the adjustment wheel and threaded shaft corresponds with the structure illustrated in Figure 4, a more detailed description herein is believed unnecessary.

While in the foregoing I have disclosed two embodiments of the present invention in considerable detail for purposes of illustration, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that many of these details may be varied considerably without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In combination with a bed frame, an invalid supporting structure comprising a standard spaced laterally a substantial distance from the side of a bed frame to permit free movement of the limbs of an invalid therebetween, a horizontally extending handle mounted upon said standard adjacent the upper end thereof and being disposed at substantially the same elevation as a person reclining upon said bed, a base provided at the lower end of said standard for frictionally engaging a floor surface and for supporting said standard thereon, and a connecting assembly rigidly securing the lower end portion of said standard to a bed frame for preventing independent vertical and horizontal movement of said frame and said invalid supporting structure when the latter is in use, said connecting assembly including a horizontally elongated connecting member extending between said bed frame and the lower portion of said standard.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which said handle comprises a horizontal bar secured intermediate the ends thereof to the upper end of said standard.

3. The structure of claim 2 in which said standard is provided with upper and lower coaxial and telescoping sections, said upper section being rotatably carried by said lower section and having said handle bar secured to the upper end thereof, and locking means disposed between the adjacent ends of said sections for selectively locking the upper section and said handle bar against relative rotation with respect to said lower section.

4. An invalid supporting structure comprising a standard adapted to be spaced laterally a substantial distance from the side of a bed to permit free movement of the limbs of an invalid therebetween, said standard being provided at its lower end with an enlarged base having at its bottom surface a resilient slip-resisting membrane for frictionally engaging a floor surface, a connecting as sembly for rigidly securing said invalid supporting structure against independent movement with reference'to a bed frame and including an elongated horizontal member extending between said frame and the lower portion of said standard, and a horizontal handle bar secured intermediate the ends thereof to the upper end of said standard and being mounted upon said standard for rotation in a horizontal plane. 7

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 320,286 Remsberg June 16, 1885 Haley Jan. 26, 1897 Johnson May 11, 1937 Yandow May 10, 1955 Stoen June21, 1955 Chisholm Aug. 7, 1956 Tumas Apr. 9, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain of 1909 Switzerland Mar. 6, 1913 Switzerland Oct. 1,1927

Great Britain Feb. 15, 1932 

